Delta Kings rule at Masters

STOCKTON - The Stagg wrestling team failed to win a Tri-City Athletic League championship two weeks ago.

Stephen Roberson

STOCKTON - The Stagg wrestling team failed to win a Tri-City Athletic League championship two weeks ago.

But the Delta Kings were the class among the Stockton schools at the Sac-Joaquin Section Masters Meet on Thursday at Spanos Center.

Stagg's David Sok (112 pounds) and Charlie Seang (125) qualified for the California State Wrestling Championships on March 6-7 at Rabobank Arena in Bakersfield. Their teammate, Jose Gloria (119), still has a chance to advance out of the consolation bracket.

The top seven individuals in each weight division qualify for state, so any wrestler who advanced to today's semifinals has locked up a spot. Three more qualifiers will emerge from the consolation bracket, which still has four rounds remaining.

The meet, which pits the best wrestlers in the section regardless of their school's CIF division classification, concludes today. The fourth consolation round begins at 9 a.m. and the semifinals at 10:15.

Escalon's Charlie Franks (103 pounds) and Lincoln's Logan Lazaro (103) also advanced to the semifinals, where they will meet for a spot in the Masters finals, which are scheduled to begin at 3:30 p.m.

Sok, a senior, who won the Division I South Championship last week, said going to state has been his goal for a long time.

"From the time I was a freshman, I wanted to go to state," Sok said. "This year I made it."

Sok advanced by pinning Central Catholic's Andrew Perez in 3 minutes, 59 seconds, just one second prior to the end of the second period.

"I thought it was going to be a close match, but at some point I just got him," said Sok, who will wrestle Sheldon's Isa Hurtado in the semifinals.

Seang, who also won a Division I South Championship last week, dominated in earning a technical fall over Elk Grove's Max Francesconi, 17-2.

Seang will open with Folsom's Jake Whatley in the semifinals and will make his second trip to the state tournament. He went last season as a 119-pounder and was eliminated after losing his first two matches.

"It's a dream," he said. "But I really didn't have goals. I just wanted to wrestle and get better. I just wanted to have fun and whatever happens happens."

Lazaro felt better this week than he did last week, when he was fighting an illness on his way to a fourth-place finish.

"I was disappointed, but I was kind of sick last week. It was just how my body performed," Lazaro said. "But as long as I was moving on to the Masters, I was fine with where I was."

Lazaro beat Bella Vista's Grant Burkhalter in the quarterfinals, 4-3, and will wrestle Turlock's Brandon Egleston in the semifinals.

Franks, who beat Armijo's Josh Pineda 11-4 to reach the semifinals, will take on Beyer's Jake Congeton in the semifinals.

Stagg finished the first day in 13th place in the team scoring with 38 points. McNair is the only other Stockton school among the top 45 (tied for 36th with 19). Escalon (42.5) is 11th, Calaveras (23.5) is 28th and Sonora (14) is tied for 45th.

A number of local wrestlers lost Thursday but still can advance out of the double-elimination tournament.